Eastern Phoebes are welcome guests in any location. These dark brown and white flycatchers are great to have around for insect control and their “phee-bee” call is often an early harbinger of spring. From Maine through Kentucky, this active bird is in decline, so providing a nesting box would be a helpful addition to your backyard. Their nesting season can start as early as late March or early April, so time to get the box up ahead of breeding season so the pair can check it out before they get serious. And don’t forget to add a predator guard.
To download plans for a nestbox for Eastern Phoebes, and get more specific info on how and where to place it, check out Cornell’s Nestwatch. If you want to help even more, you can sign up for Nestwatch and join a group of citizen scientists who send info to Cornell on what’s going on in their nestboxes.
Want to know more about Eastern Phoebes? Cornell can help you with that, too!
Eastern Phoebe; Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel